Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

Mijn jaar van rust en kalmte by Ottessa Moshfegh

197 reviews

imds's review against another edition

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Vomit, Alcohol, Death of parent, Grief, Abortion, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Terminal illness, Infidelity, and Mental illness

rionstorm's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.25

This book sucks so bad... she was clearly trying to be ironic and failed... literally everything about it is irritating... the casual racism, the repetitiveness, her constantly talking about how pretty she is, how every character is cartoonish and one dimensional, the incredibly silly (and distasteful) ending... awful

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Confinement, and Death of parent

Moderate: Cancer, Racism, Alcoholism, Vomit, and Terminal illness

Minor: Abortion, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Pregnancy

chickaboogawah's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.25

This book was horrible. The end epiphany that I expected didn't happen. The main character was still unlikeable. It was predictable and dumb. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dysphoria, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Vomit, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Drug use, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Addiction, Death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Cancer, Fatphobia, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Ableism, Chronic illness, Classism, Confinement, Death of parent, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

leafy_literature's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

What was the point of this book? What was the plot? The main character is a horrible person with no redeeming qualities. Her friend tried so hard, just to always get crapped on. Don't waste your time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Eating disorder, Self harm, Mental illness, Cancer, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Death of parent, Drug use, Fatphobia, Suicide, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Addiction, Bullying, Grief, Toxic friendship, Drug abuse, and Medical content

karalynaa's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Addiction, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Abortion, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Misogyny, Suicide, Panic attacks/disorders, Cancer, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Death, and Death of parent

lenacamci's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

First and foremost, this character is very unlikable - clearly on purpose. 
She also deals with depression and grief and pain that a life of privilege could not shield her from.

This book is so driven by its character and the way she perceives the world and copes with it and yet, she does not learn. She changes but she doesn't grow. 
It's very well written but it's not a pleasant read. It makes you reflect on how you can relate to her and yet leaves you frustrated by her decisions and just general unpleasantness. Which is fine, it's good to have bad, well written morally bad, insufferable but nuanced female characters. 

The ending was the bitter note for me, as Reva is yet another somewhat unlikable character but who at least somehow tries and loves as superficial as she could be. Struggling with mental health, I didn't expect this book who is already a dark take having such a bitter, "life is unfair", painfully real ending. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Addiction, Eating disorder, Alcohol, Cancer, Drug abuse, Suicide, Chronic illness, Confinement, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Drug use, and Mental illness

Minor: Pregnancy, Vomit, Alcoholism, and Abortion

mariavdl's review against another edition

dark sad

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Death of parent, Cancer, Terminal illness, Excrement, Vomit, Sexual content, Addiction, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, and Gaslighting

Minor: Abortion

amyford's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Grief, Cancer, Eating disorder, Body shaming, Alcoholism, Addiction, Medical content, Suicide, Bullying, Drug abuse, Vomit, Mental illness, Self harm, Terminal illness, Confinement, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Excrement

skylerclaudia's review against another edition

slow-paced

1.0

I just didn’t like this. 

To me, the most interesting part was right before Reva’s mother passes away and after she passed away. I’m not sure at all what I’m supposed to have taken away from this book but I’m glad I’m finished. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Addiction, Grief, Vomit, and Toxic relationship

anh_read's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The main character is unhinged and at times very problematic and insufferable. But as a reader, one could sympathize with her. Some characters were, in my opinion, a bit too exaggerated and too stereotypical, that they lacked any depth or to be even believable. I am aware that Ottessa Moshfegh intended them to be that way since they are merely described form the POV of the protagonist.

The novel gives great insight into the mind of a troubled and depressed person. It also alluded to the overreliance on prescipted drugs and its abuse. One thing I need point out though is that this novel tends to glamorize mental illnesses (as if being depressed was considered to be edgy). Although depression is a very serious topic, the author portrayed a glamorized lifestyle through the protagonist - instead of pointing out the danger of it. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this book. I recommend it to everyone who likes unhinged characters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Body shaming

Moderate: Grief

Minor: Abortion, Animal cruelty, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Cancer